For thousands of SCCA members, their motorsports
journey began with a competition
license novice permit application.
For 75 years now, the door
to SCCA Road Racing opened
with the filling out of a name,
address, and Region of record,
then attaching a photo to
a simple form. For most, it
would be followed shortly
thereafter by the completion
of the mandatory Driver’s
School, with the Chief Steward’s
signature on each license
launching another racing
career. Most of those racing
careers would be at a local,
amateur level – weekends
with friends at a nearby
track on a modest budget
with the spoils of victory
involving nothing more than
a trophy or ribbon. But some
of those license applications
were the launching pad to
prestigious professional racing
careers. The SCCA Archives
at the International Motor
Racing Research Center in
Watkins Glen preserves and
manages the history of drivers
at both ends of the spectrum.

You don’t have to spend
much time in the SCCA Archives
to stumble upon numerous
amazing race applications, like
the Novice Permit application for
Philadelphia Region’s Al Holbert.
Holbert was the five-time
champion of the IMSA Camel
GT series, three-time winner at
LeMans, two-time winner in the
24-Hours of Daytona, as well as
appearances in NASCAR and
IndyCar – and he was also an
SCCA member. The collection
includes Holbert’s original Novice
Permit issued on March 8,
1971, which shows his driving

DAY ONE

(BELOW) Al Holbert’s racing application
resides in the SCCA Archives.

school requirements completedby April 18, 1971. Looking atthe photo of the 24-year-oldnovice, one wonders whether hissmile gives away any foresightthe young driver had into theadventure ahead of him.

SCCA Archives records show
Holbert’s racing career grew
quickly. After finishing fourth
in CP at the ARRC in 1972, by

1973 he had added the STP
Professional Rookie of the Year
honor to his resume, followed by
an IMSA championship in 1976
along with participation in the

“ You don’t have tospend much time inthe SCCA Archives tostumble upon...amazing75 YEARS OF DRIVER HISTORYDriver records are preserved at the IMRRC thanks to your SCCA Foundation donations